These papers cover Houston born chaplain and educator Harris Masterson, Jr.'s life from his schooling through his career with the YMCA. Highlights include correspondence with family members, photographs, school materials and his career.

Harris Masterson, Jr., born June 22, 1881, Brazoria, TX, was the son of Judge Harris Masterson and Sallie Stewart Turner. A graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee, TN (1904) and the Episcopal Theological School of Cambridge [Harvard] (1907), Masterson began his career as chaplain of All Saint's, Austin, TX, 1908-11. He worked with the YMCA in China (Hankow and Wuchang, 1911-16) and the US (1916-17), and became a Red Cross chaplain in 1918. He came to Houston in 1919 to become the organizer, director and chaplain of a community house for Rice Institute students, later known as Autry House. Masterson was active in civic and educational affairs and served in various positions including chairman of the Building Committee of the Houston Public Library Board and as a Trustee for the University of the South. In 1925 he married Elizabeth Simpkins who shared his work with Rice students. The Mastersons moved to France to work with American students in Paris and returned to Austin, TX in 1926 for Masterson to become Rector of All Saint's Chapel. He resigned in Oct. 1935 and died in Austin in Nov. 1935.

The collection, totaling nine document boxes, covers Harris Masterson, Jr.'s life from his schooling through his career with the YMCA. Highlights include correspondence with family members, photographs, school materials and his career.

Arrangement

The Harris Masterson, Jr. Papers are arranged in four series:

Series I: Correspondence, 1898-1920. Arranged in two sub-series, the General sub-series includes business correspondence from 1898 to 1914; the Family sub-series includes correspondence from various family members from 1898-1920.

Series II: Personal, 1894-1920. This series includes materials from HMJr.'s schooling, essays, published works, bank records and genealogical records.

Series III: YMCA, 1908-1917. Arranged in two sub-series, China-International YMCA and Army YMCA, the materials include administrative records, correspondence and published YMCA materials.

Series IV: Visuals, n.d. This series includes postcards and photographs of the locations HMJr. visited and served during his career with the YMCA and his personal life.

The collection originally was placed in Hollinger boxes without any preservation or organizational efforts. Some of the collection had been wet and mildewed; concerns have been addressed. Since the papers were subdivided from a much larger collection, the Masterson Family Collection, information about the Masterson family and business, cultural and social life of Houston may also be found in complementary collections of the Judge Harris Masterson Papers MS#468 and Harris Masterson, III Papers MS#470.